Pipe holder



Dec. 31, I946. B, DECKERT 2,413,291

PIPE HOLDER Filed June 1, 1945 Patented Dec. 31, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIPE HOLDER Harold B. Deckert, Inez. Tex.

Application June 1, 1945, Serial N0. 597,003

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a pipe holder.

An object of the invention is to provide a holder of the character described specially designed to be mounted on the workmans platform which is mounted in the derrick of well drilling equipment.

In drilling deep wells a derrick is erected over the well and the derrick is equipped with a crown block having sheaves over which the cable, which elevates and lowers the travelling block, operates. This cable is manipulated by a drawworks on the derrick and suspended from the travel ling block is an elevator Which may be latched around the sections of pipe in order to lift, or lower, said sections while breaking up a string of pipe in coming out of the Well or in making up the string while lowering the same into the well.

The workman on said platform in the derrick must latch the elevator about, and unlatch it from, the sections of pipe while the same are being handled by the elevator.

The pipe holder herein described has been specially designed for use while latching the elevator about the pipe sections while the string of pipe is being made up and lowered into the well.

At the present time when it becomes necessary to add an additional section to the pipe being made up the workman on the platform must swing said section over, by hand, from the stack of pipe in the derrick and hold the same in proper position and at the same time must latch the elevator about the section being so held. Inasmuch as the elevator is quite heavy and diflicult to handle the hands of the workman holding the pipe and at the same time latching the elevator therearound are often injured.

It is a prime object of the present invention to provide a pipe holder mounted on the platform and which, when in active position, will hold the section of pipe in proper position while the workman is latching the elevator therearound and which will be automatically swung into inactive position out of the way of the elevator or pipe when not in use.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a derrick showing the pipe stacked therein and the workmans platform with the pipe holder installed; and

7 which is secured to the plate Ii.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of the holder.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a derrick. The pipe 2 to be handled is shown stacked at one side of the derrick and held in position by hooks such as 3 which may be hinged so as to be swung into vertical position, out of the way, when not in use.

At the desired elevation the derrick may be provided with the transverse upper and lower supporting rods 4 and 5 provided to support the workmans platform 6 on which the workman may stand while handling the elevator, as above explained. This platform may be equipped with a suitable bearing l which slides on the rod 4 and the depending brackets 8 which have bearings as 9, 9 on the rod 5. The platform 6 may be moved laterally along its supporting rods by means of a handle it which has a gear connection With the rod 4.

The construction hereinabove described is conventienal and is now in common use. The improvements constituting the subject of the present invention will now be described.

Fastened on the platform 6 there is a plate H, preferably formed of metal and of rectangular shape. Pivoted on the plate H to move on a vertical axis there is a lever I2 whose forward end is formed into a pipe retaining hook I 3 which projects forwardly beyond the platform when in use. This hook may be maintained in active position by means of a latch M which is pivoted to move on the horizontal axis on the bracket l5 One end of this latch has a notch l6 arranged to engage over the opposite end of the lever 12 from the hook I 3 so as to hold said hook in active position, as shown in Figure 2. The latch has an extended pedal I! which may be depressed when desired to elevate the opposite end of the latch to release it from the lever l2.

There are two pull springs l8, l9. The former is attached, at one end, to the plate II and at its other end to the hooked end of the lever I 2 and the latter of which is attached, at one end, to the plate i I and, at its other end, to the latched end of the lever l2. Whenthe hook I3 is in active position the springs 18 and i9 will be under tension and when the latch is released these springs will swing the lever 12 around into inactive position and will retract the hook l3 so that it will not project beyond the platform 6 and will therefore not be liable to be injured by the swinging pipe or elevator.

In making up a drill stem, or other string of pipe to be lowered into the well bore the workman on the platform 6 may swing the lever I2 into active position and latch it in said position, as shown in Figure 2. He may then swing a section of the stem, or pipe, from the stack in the derrick over into position to be engaged by the hook l3, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, and this section of pipe will be thereby supported in upright position without attention from the work- What I claim is:

A pipe holder adapted to be mounted in a derrick and comprising, a plate-like support, a lever pivotally mounted, intermediate its ends, on the support and one end of which is formed into a pipe engaging hook, said lever being movable to active position to carry the hook out beyond a man. When the elevator comes within reach of the workman he will then have both hands free to latch the elevator about the section of pipe sustained by the hook l3 and then release the latch so that the hook l3 will be withdrawn to inactive position, as above explained. In this way the liability of injury to the workman will be greatly minimized.

The drawing and description are illustrative merely while the broad principle of the inven- 20 tion will be defined by the appended claim.

margin of the support into position to receive a pipe section to be held, a yieldable member connected to the lever and arranged to be placed under tension when the lever is moved to said active position, a latch on the support engageable with the other end of the lever to hold the hook extended out beyond said margin of the support, said yieldable member being operative to automatically withdraw the hook behind said margin and into inactive position upon release of the latch.

HAROLD B. DECKERT. 

